Switch-thawing device.



' Devicesyof which the .1W n

City, county Hudson,

. -swIroH-THWINGDEV'ICE.,

`.Be ,itknown'that we, FRANK A. HIGGINS and 'lF oiuAsM. DUNNING, citizens ofthe United.' States of America, residing at New Brunswichcountyof Middlesex,'-and Jersey and State of New Jersey,"resp'ectively, have invented new and use l 'Improvements in Switch-Thawing following is a specilca'tion';

' The general object of the invention is to -e'lect 1n a simpleQeXpeditious and effective manner2 the thawing ofthe' movable element' o'fa switch-'rail of arailway track when, in the vwinter time,v this 'has become frozen to the' surface on 'which it bears, onhas otherwisebeenfrendere'd-y inoperative by the presdisposed in its path of:moveijnent.',A And to this end theinvention resides in arranging in the bed of t .the railwaytrack and underneath the switch,

135' switchv and'V th onel or more trays 'adapted' for holding contained 'a combustible liquid so that when this is lignited' the 'ame thereof, upon mounting upwardly, will envelop the'frozen ferebyk cause the lthawing thereof. f l

1. 'Ai-netherfeature ofthe invention resides in' providingfifl desired, a receptacle for the combustible liquid, and in `adapting .and arranging ,t this receptacle to discharge into liCatQn,l reference lbeing had to the tray ortrays. n l p v n Otherobjects will appear 'and be better understood from that embodiment'of my' inventionof which the following is a speci'- the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, which;- f a Figure 1 is a plan of one embodiment of the-inventionv in use. Fig. 2fi`s an enlarged cross sectional detail' 'of the inner `side of `Fig. 3 is a contracteddfragment partly in section and in 'side 4elevation of one end vportion of the reserve?? 011* Supply- For-zpuruoses, 0f

-illustration we have shownthe invention in` use with two movable switch.. Thesearefindicated thefdrawingsby' a and The ,stationary rails ofv the traclrare indicatedby c" and al, the4 cross ties b v,c,.and the links connecting ,the movablerailsa and by f and g. Since the operating inechp- 4nisrnjfor the switch rails a: and b. forms no part ofthe present in,-

vention,l 'it is not deemed necessary to inunw JERSEY.-

Sgpeciviicatiou of Letters Patent.

c rateuteu'siettiie; raie.

I 'applicatidnmed Marchas, 1915.' serial-ivo. 14,5984* dioate such mechanism here, describe in d'etailtheparts just indicated since the structure `of these parts forms no part of the present invention.

he constructiony of the reservoir or sup,- ply of. this invention is based on the principle that the iowof liquid from a liquidolding container having an outlet opening will always `be controlled by the position of that opening with respect to thesurface of the liquid in the container. Hence the outof the container 'of the tion is adjustable to variable distances either above or below the surface of the liquid in the container or resenyoir. construction it is obvious that when the 'outlet is above the orV container is nor further to v designed 'for holding an inflammable liquid,

such as crude oil, kerosene,

Adf

and the like.

of the same the reservoir positioned .with suchv relation to the tray that the outlet ofthe reservoir will direct the inflammable liquid into the tray when the said outl'etis in one position of adjustas isv held .bv

relation tov the adjacent switch rail that `the llame of the liquid said liquid is' ignited,

in partenvelop the switch rail.

or container. "The reservoir is -rnent and the tray is`dispos`ed@withl such The reservoir-or container shown in'Figs.

1 to 3 inclusive and indicated'l generally by 7a, is formed of 'metallic tubing, access to the interior of which is had through lthe ends and the axis of' the openings inthese ends is at an angle to th l so'that the filling ofthe tube through either end may be 'readily effected when ltheaa'es ofthe end' openings' extend vertically up'- ward; In the vform 'shown in ligs.- 'l and?) the peculiar 'disposition -ishad by attaching. elbows 5`-5`inany suitable mannerto the ends offthe tube `and adapting the out'er ends' of these elbows to take v suitable closures.A In Eig. 3 an" ef- "95- e axis of the 'tube of the 'end openings l fe'ctive type 'of closure is shown as consist.-

ing of a plug 6 screwed into, the elbow '5 and having a central opening thI'Qllgh Which the'inlammable liquid is passed in the act of lilling the tube.,A The said' central openile ing being screw threaded t0 receive a bushing 7 which functions to admit atmospheric pressure to the surface of the liquid in the tube so as to facilitate the discharging thereof when the outlet of the tube `is adjusted into discharging position.

The outlet of the reservoir shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is a nozzle in the form of a tube of relatively small diameter and indicated'by 8. The inner end of this nozzle 8 is. directedinto a lateral opening of the container and is suitably secured against displacement inthe said opening.. With this construction it is obvious that the nozzle or outlet extends substantially radially of reservoir or container h, consequently when the outer end of the outlet is disposed above the levell of the liquid the saine will not flow from the container or reservoir.

The container or reservoir is adjustably secured to its support above thetray and in the'present instance such container or reservoir is shown as supported by the cross ties e and adjacent to t wardly of thel track rails. This'rdisposition of the container or reservoir precludes any probability of contact with extremely low disposed or displaced parts of the running gear of'the cars-which travel on the track. As'shown in the drawings the containery or reservoiris disposed horizontally and it is rendered adj-ustable by mounting it in yokes 9 the ends ofthe limbs of which are outturned and secured to the cross ties e ,by screws 10l or theirv equivalents, it being understood vthattlie presence of the yokes will not prevent the turnin'g'of the container or reservoir by applying pressure with a suitable implement, such as a wrench, to any desirableportion thereof. In order to require 'but a minimum amount of turning m o ve' ment to adjust the outlet from the positionshownb' full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings to thats own'by dotted lines and at the `'same time to require for `receiving the inner end ofthe outlet' an opening whose axis will be ataradius to the containerl or reservoir h, the'inner Vend portion of the outlet is odset as indicated b`y` 11. And further in order to ypermit of the use of dan' outlet of such diameter'as will not readily clog `and will at the same time impede the dow of liquid through what will hereinafter "appear,

'the outlet," to the sa-me extent .as would 'be had with an outlet of relativelyysmall diameter, a loop 12'is formed intermediate of the ends" of the outlet.' This loop by its presence, also-functions as a tra to lprevent the en trance 'of ydustor dirt into the reservoir or container through the outlet when the saine isdispsedjin the position shown by =full linesinFig. 2.4

The tray 13' ofthis invention is shown as adapted' for cooperating with the container just described. .But it will be obvious,llfrom that the 'use of e ends thereof and cutthesame action may the tray does not depend on any specific form of cot'ainer or other means for applyving combustible liquid. The tray is by 'preference formed of metaland is arrangedjbetween` adjacent cross ties, e-e and held by any suitable support, such as the road-bed 14. The tray is so proportioned in length as to readily extend from a position below the switch rail b and stationary rail d to a point substantially in alinement with.Y the inner end 'of ,the outlet whereby to provide that the outer end of said outlet will extend well into the tray when the outletis adjusted intoA discharging position, as shown by dotted llines in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. 1 the reservoir shown'as extending for the full length of the f switch rail and a plurality of trays 13 are employed and disposed between the several cross ties over which the switch rail extends. The container or reservoir is provided with a. number of outlets corresponding to the number of trays, so that when the container or reservoir is adjusted to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the several trays willbe simultaneously supplied with inflaminab e liquid. In instances such as shown in Fig. 1, where two switch rails arc used each tray may be sufficiently long vto extend underneath the said switch rails as shown by the construction of one of the trays in Fig. 1, which tray is indicated by k, or a greater nuinberof lshorter trays may be employed as is also shown in Fig. 1, in which instance, of course, there will be provided a reservoir h for each series of trays. Or if further desired, a combination of short and long trays may' be employed as is the longer trays being employed at the portions of the switch rails which are connected by the links g and the. shorter trays under the other pprtions of the said switch rails. yWhen t e device is not in use the reservoir as before stated is adjustedA to the position shown in Fig. 2,-and in order to prevent the turning. of the outlets into discharging position suitable means such as set screws screwed through the yokes 9 and into binding engagement with the reservoirs or containers, are employed. When it is required to use the invention the set screws or other fastening means for the reservoir, or reservoirs as the case may be, are loosened after which the reservoir is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2. The inflammable Huid is lighted in the trays upon flowing into these and the flame from such ignited fluid upon enveloping or partly enveloping the switch rails readily effects the melting of the ice or snow. It will be noted that the volume of flow of the contents of the reservoir may be varied by turning the reservoir so as to adjust the outer end of the outlet to various distances above the tray so. that -be obtained as would trays than in other parts,

the fact that certain parts of the switch rail neednot'jbe thawed, or for any other reason. Therefore, it l that the right to use Valves whenever found necessary, is reserved.

1What is claimed as new is:

l. A thawing device for switch rails, comprising atray arranged below the switch rail, and a reservoir or container for holding arranged to direct the flow or inflammable fluid fiom the ieservon or container into the tra liquid in the container or reservoir and below the said level and into alinement with the tray. g

3. In a vthawing devicefor switch rails,

` a horizontally disposed container or reservoir adjustably connected to the railway track and havlngconnected thereto an outlet i or nozzle which 1s disposed so as to extend into the space between adjacentcross ties ofthe railway track when the container or reservoir is adjusted into one position.

lin athawing device for switch rails,

isto be understoodV device for switch rails, comthe combination of a horizontally disposed container or reservoir arranged so as to eX- tend longitudinally of the railway track and adjustably secured to the same, and provided with an outlet or nozzle having a loop intermediate of its ends. n

5..'A thawingdeviceor switch rails inin vertical alinement with the trays when the container or reservoir is adjusted into one position.

In combination with the oppositely disposed movable rails of a railway switch and the cross tiesfor supporting the rails; of a plurality of trays for holding a combustible liquid-and arranged between adjacent cross ties, certain ofjsaid trays being relatively nlong and extending to points underneath the opp'ositely disposed'switch rails, others of said trays being relatively short and arranged in parallel series, one series,being disposed beneath one of sa'id movableswitch rails and the other series disposed beneath the other .of said mo-vable switch rails.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification -in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of March, 1915.

HIGGINS.

FRANK A. THOMAS M. DUNNING. Witnesses:

JAMEs S. HANLON,

EDWARD A. RIORDAN. 

